This invention relates to point of sale devices and point of sale transactions.
In the sale of goods by a merchant to a consumer, there are various point of sale devices available to the merchant which may be utilized to complete the transaction. Typically, each point of sale device has limited functionality. For example, one known point of sale device is the debit card reader that exists in, for example, some grocery stores. The merchant rings up a total amount due on a register, and passes the debit card through a card reader to debit the consumer account. Credit card readers work in a similar way. Usually, the functionality of these available point of sale devices is quite limited. If a merchant desires to have enhanced point of sale capabilities, multiple devices are required. Unfortunately, counter space is very valuable to the merchant good seller. Because the merchant usually must use multiple point of sale devices if more than a single point of sale function is required, these multiple devices take up valuable counter space. Although many of these devices have been commercially successful, the merchant is forced to make a trade off between having additional and enhanced capability at the point of sale and having more available counter space for small items that are commonly bought as a customer is about to check out.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a point of sale payment terminal that overcomes the limitations of the prior art and allows the merchant good seller to avoid the burdensome trade off decisions that must be made when deciding the importance of added counter space versus the importance of added functionality at the point of sale.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an integrated point of sale payment terminal for processing multiple payment types preferably including but not limited to payment by debit, payment by credit, payment by smart card, and payment by check, where the payment terminal may be located at the point of sale during use to allow a store merchant to accept multiple payment types with the single payment terminal.
In carrying out the above object, an integrated point of sale payment terminal for processing multiple payment types including payment by check, is provided. The payment terminal is located at the point of sale during use to allow a store merchant to accept multiple payment types. The payment terminal comprises a compact housing having a base shaped to sit on a merchant counter and having a document slot for receiving a check. The payment terminal further comprises a processor disposed in the housing, a memory in communication with the processor, a magnetic ink character recognition device, and an imaging device. The magnetic ink character recognition device is for reading a string of magnetic ink characters on the check, and is affixed to the housing at the document slot and in communication with the processor. The imaging device is for capturing an image of the check, and is affixed to the housing at the document slot and in communication with the processor. The processor is programed to process multiple payment types including processing a checking account transaction when the check is placed in the document slot.
In preferred embodiments of the present invention, the payment terminal further comprises a display on the housing and in communication with the processor and a keypad on the housing and in communication with the processor. Further, in a preferred embodiment, the housing has a second slot for receiving a payment card, and the payment terminal further comprises a magnetic stripe reader. The magnetic stripe reader is affixed to the housing at the second slot and is in communication with the processor.
Further, preferred embodiments include a printing device, and a modem located in the housing and in communication with the processor. And further, preferred embodiments include a serial port located on the housing and in communication with the processor for connecting an external device to the payment terminal. In addition, preferred embodiments of the present invention include a smart card reader affixed to the housing and in communication with the processor.
In some embodiments, the payment terminal is further configured to determine an authenticity of the document, and the payment terminal is further configured to utilize dynamic thresholding to, in real-time, discriminate text from background as it relates to checks at point of sale.
Further in carrying out the invention, an integrated point of sale payment terminal is provided. The payment terminal comprises a compact housing having a base shaped to sit on a merchant counter and having a first slot for receiving a payment card, a second slot for receiving a check, and a third slot for receiving a smart card. The payment terminal further comprises a processor disposed in the housing, a random access memory in communication with the processor, a display on the housing and in communication with the processor, and a keypad on the housing and in communication with the processor.
The payment terminal further comprises a magnetic stripe reader, a magnetic ink character recognition device, an imaging device, a smart card reader, a printing device, and a modem. The magnetic stripe reader is affixed to the housing at the first slot and is in communication with the processor. The magnetic ink character recognition device is for reading a string of magnetic ink characters on the check, and is affixed to the housing at the second slot in communication with the processor. The imaging device is for capturing an image of the check, and is affixed to the housing at the second slot and in communication with the processor. The modem is located in the housing and in communication with the processor.
The processor is programmed to process multiple payment types from the consumer, including processing a credit card or a debit card. The credit card or debit card is processed when the credit card or debit card is passed through (or equivalently is received in) the first slot and a receipt is printed. The smart card is processed when the smart card passes through the third slot and a receipt is printed. Further, the processor is programmed to process a checking account transaction when a check is placed in the second slot.
Advantageously, the single payment terminal has a compact housing allowing the acceptance of multiple payment types while avoiding overuse of counter space. Advantageously, the processor and associated devices may handle, for example, credit card payment, debit card payment, smart card payment or checking account payment which may be payment by paper check or payment by electronic debit.
In some embodiments of the present invention, the payment terminal comprises a printing device configured to print on a roll receipt and further configured to print on a check (or other document, for example, a money order) that is received in the second slot. That is, advantageously, a single printing device may print receipts off of a paper roll or print directly to a check to, for example, fill out the blanks on a check or frank the back of the check as xe2x80x9cfor deposit.xe2x80x9d Preferably, the processor is further programmed to, when processing a checking account transaction, print a receipt on the check and treat the transaction as an electronic debit. Printing the receipt may include marking the check as void or processed. Alternatively, when processing a checking account transaction that is a payment by paper check as opposed to an electronic debit of the checking account, the processor is programmed to frank the check as xe2x80x9cfor deposit.xe2x80x9d
In addition to embodiments of the present invention including a modem for connecting to a host that approves the transaction or requests other information regarding the transaction, preferred embodiments of the present invention include one or more serial ports in communication with the processor for connecting an external device to the payment terminal. For example, the payment terminal processor may be configured to support various auxiliary input devices that may be connected through the serial port. For example, some embodiments of the present invention may further be provided with an integrated smart card reader or in the alternative, a smart card reader may be connected via one of the available serial ports.
Still further, in carrying out the present invention, an integrated point of sale payment terminal for processing multiple payment types including payment by debit, payment by credit, payment by smart card, and payment by check, is provided. The payment terminal compromises a compact housing having a base shaped to sit on a merchant counter and having a first slot for receiving a consumer payment card and a second slot for receiving a consumer check. The payment terminal further comprises a processor, a random access memory, a display, a keypad, a magnetic stripe reader, a magnetic ink character recognition device, an imaging device, and a printing device. The magnetic ink character recognition device is for reading a string of magnetic characters on the check, and is affixed to the housing at the second slot and in communication with the processor. The imaging device is for optically reading the check, and is affixed to the housing at the second slot and in communication with the processor. The processor utilizes both the magnetic ink character recognition device and the optical character recognition device to determine a content of the string in these embodiments of the present invention.
Advantageously, the combination of the magnetic ink character recognition device and the imaging device provides enhanced ability for the payment terminal to read the routing and account numbers from the bottom of the check. Alternatively, only the magnetic ink character recognition device or only the imaging device may be used instead of both, but both are preferred. The imaging device may be configured with sufficient imaging range to provide an image of the entire check while also being capable of scanning the bottom edge of the check where the routing and account numbers are located.
The advantages associated with embodiments of the present invention are numerous. For example, embodiments of the present invention provide a single payment terminal utilizing a compact housing that sits on a merchant counter. The compact housing uses minimal space while providing maximal functionality with the various devices provided on the payment terminal for accepting various types of payments such as debit cards, credit cards, payment by check, payment by smart card, etc. It is to be appreciated that embodiments of the present invention provide the functionality that heretofore was only provided by multiple devices with each of the devices taking up valuable counter space which was undesirable to the merchant. With the present invention, the merchant no longer faces the difficult trade off decision of counter space versus payment acceptance versatility, but can instead utilize a payment terminal of the present invention to use a reduced amount of counter space due to the compact housing while having the added functionality and versatility of the present invention payment terminal.
The above object and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art from the following detailed description of the best mode for carrying out the invention when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.